(Chicago, August 14, 1997). The Council of Representatives of the American Psychological Association
(APA) has passed a resolution affirming four basic principles
with regard to treatments to alter sexual orientation, so-called
conversion or reparative therapies.

These principles are:

Homosexuality is not a mental disorder and the APA opposes
all portrayals of lesbian, gay and bisexual people as mentally
ill and in need of treatment due to their sexual orientation;

Psychologists do not knowingly participate in or condone discriminatory
practices with lesbian, gay and bisexual clients;

Psychologists respect the rights of individuals, including
lesbian, gay and bisexual clients to privacy, confidentiality,
self-determination and autonomy;

Psychologists obtain appropriate informed consent to therapy
in their work with lesbian, gay and bisexual clients.

The resolution further states that the APA "urges all mental
health professionals to take the lead in removing the stigma of
mental illness that has long been associated with homosexual orientation."

Supporters of the resolution, which passed the APA Council overwhelmingly
by a voice vote, believed that it was critical for the Association
to make such a statement due to the questions of the ethics, efficacy
and benefits of conversion therapy which are now being debated within the profession and within society as a whole.

"Our concern," stated Douglas Haldeman, Ph.D., President
of APA's Society for the Psychological Study Of Lesbian, Gay and
Bisexual Issues, "is that a person, especially a young person,
who enters into therapy to deal with issues of sexual orientation
should be able to have the expectation that such therapy would
take place in a professionally neutral environment absent of any
societal bias. Additionally, therapists should be providing clients
with accurate information about same-sex sexual orientation.
This resolution reasserts the profession's commitment to those
two principles."

The APA Council of Representatives is the major legislative and
policy-setting body of the organization. The American Psychological Association
(APA), in Washington, DC, is the largest scientific and professional
organization representing psychology in the United States and
is the world's largest association of psychologists. APA's membership
includes more than 151,000 researchers, educators, clinicians,
consultants and students. Through its divisions in 50 subfields
of psychology and affiliations with 58 state, territorial and
Canadian provincial associations, APA works to advance psychology
as a science, as a profession and as a means of promoting human
welfare.